


The Garden

by orphan_account



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Dan Howell Is Not A YouTuber, Dan Howell is a prince, Dan mother is dead, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gardener Phil Lester, Light Angst, M/M, Phil Lester Is Not A YouTuber, Phil Lester is a gardener, Prince Dan Howell, Royalty, Sad Dan Howell, Sad Phil Lester, Sad with a Happy Ending, Secret Relationship, Swearing, phan royalty au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2020-10-06 18:44:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20511731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Dans father, the King of Corevia, insists that dan needs to marry a princess. Dan, however, has someone else in mind.Special thanks to @jackie-k-s on tumblr for helping me edit this!!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to @jackie-k-s on tumblr! Please go follow her!!

Dan sat in his throne, a young princess with long, raven black hair standing in front of him. She wore a turquoise dress with a golden trim, with a matching tiara sat atop her head.  
“Hello, Prince Daniel. I am Princess Brie from the Kingdom Of Acella.”  
“Good evening, Princess Brie.” He said in a dull voice, not bothering to show any interest in the girl. His father had been inviting princesses to the kingdom all month.  
“You need to get married soon,” His father had said one day over dinner, “And since you lack the motivation to visit the other kingdoms yourself, I have invited some princesses for you to give a tour of the castle too.”  
“Why didn’t you consult me about this idea first?” Dan asked, annoyance present in his voice.  
“Cheer up, son. You may just like one of them.”  
“I suppose,” Dan said with a sigh. He didn’t want to marry a princess he only met once. He hated being forced into a marriage that had no love in it. No real connection between the two. A marriage fueled only by his responsibility as a prince to make sure that whoever was next in line after him had royal blood running through their veins. He much preferred spending his time falling in love than giving an over-eager princess a tour of the castle.  
Yet here he was, walking around with Princess Brie latched onto his arm.  
“So,” she asked, her voice filled with lust. “What’s it like being the Prince of the biggest kingdom the land?”  
Dan shrugged his shoulders. “It can be stressful, trying to control everything, but I manage.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but Dan cut her off.  
“And here we have the castle garden,” he said, opening the door to the garden, the first real smile of the tour on his face.  
The castle garden was his favorite place in the whole kingdom. A circle of blue rose bushes surrounded a white arch, overgrown with ivy. Under the arch was a stone bench, with the name of the first King of Corevia engraved into the stone surface. The land behind the arch was filled with lavender fields that stretched to the edge of the woods. The rest of the garden was filled with different flowers. At night, the moon hangs over the arch, casting a glow onto the flowers below. Dan would often come here to clear his head of whatever was troubling him.  
“It’s very simple,” Brie replied, her voice condescending.  
“Yes, it is.” Dan agreed, trying to keep his voice level, “That's one thing I love about it. I find beauty in simplicity.” Brie scoffed at this. _Guess she’s not one to enjoy the simple things in life._ Dan thought.  
“Well, that concludes our tour. Shall I walk you back to your carriage?” Dan asked, thankful that Brie would leave soon.  
“Why, yes. I would.” She said, that lustful tone once again evident in her voice.  
The walk back to the castle entrance was filled with silence, and Dan could feel Brie looking at him the entire walk. The sun had begun to set by the time they arrived.  
“Well, It was lovely meeting you Prince Daniel,” Brie said, giving a small curtsy.  
“You as well,” Replied Dan, bowing. It was custom for the prince to give the princess a kiss on the hand as she left, but Dan simply stood there, unmoving. When Brie realized that she would not be receiving her kiss, she let out a small “Hmph” Before turning around and stomping into her carriage.  
***  
Dan walked out to the garden. The sun had set, and the first stars were starting to appear. He sat on the bench and look up at the sky. Much like the garden, Dan found beauty in the stars. _I bet Brie doesn't find stars beautiful. I'm sure they’re much to “simple” for someone like her._ He thought. All the princesses that had visited the castle had all been the same. They all just tried to say the right thing and wear the right outfit in hopes of becoming the prince of the most powerful kingdoms bride.  
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of movement from somewhere behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see the silhouette of a man standing over him. He jumped up in a panic, unsheathing the sword on his belt. The figure immediately raised his hands in surrender.  
“Hey! Hey! Hey! It’s just me!” Said the figure stepping into the light.  
Dan breathed a sigh of relief.  
“Phil, you scared the hell out of me.” Dan said in a fond tone. He slid his sword back into his shethe and kissed Phil. Dan and Phil had been friends since they were children.  
***  
Dan first found The Garden when he was maybe four or five during one of his many explorations of the castle. First he noticed the arch, then he noticed the little boy that looked to be his age sitting on the bench. Dan was ecstatic! He would finally have someone his age to talk to!  
“Hi!” he said, sitting down next to the boy, “What’s your name?”  
The boy stared at Dan, stunned that _The Prince_ was talking to him.  
“Ph-Phil!” He stuttered, not making eye contact.  
“Phil.” Dan repeated, “I like that name.” Phil just gave a small smile in return.  
“Are you a prince too?” Dan continued.  
“Oh. Erm...no. I’m just a gardener.” Phil replied meekly, looking at the ground.  
“A gardener? What’s that?”  
“I help care of all of the plants and stuff.”  
“Really? That’s so cool!”  
“You think so?”  
“Yeah! You get to come here everyday!”  
Phil looked up, finally meeting Dan’s eyes. “You can come here everyday, too!” he said.  
“Really?” Dan said, eyes lighting up.  
“Yeah,” Replied Phil. “We can meet here everyday!”  
“Promise?”  
“I Promise.”  
***  
They kept that promise. They met everyday, and soon became inseparable. After awhile, Dan started to realize that he saw Phil as more than just a friend. To him, Phil was his soulmate. When dan told phil, phil revealed he felt the same way. They decided right then and there that they would spend the rest of their lives together, as lovers. They never told anyone this though. They were smart enough to keep it to themselves. They knew what would happen if word got out that they we’re more than friends. They had had a wonderful and, mostly, carefree relationship.  
That was until it was announced that the King of Corevia was looking for a bride for his son.


	2. Chapter 2

Dan didn’t eat much that night. He poked and prodded his food with his fork, a sad look on his face.  
“What’s the matter, my boy?” His father asked, concerned.  
Dan set down his fork with a sigh, “It’s just that...” He looked at the ground. He wanted to tell his father everything. He wanted to tell his father about his relationship with Phil. He wanted to explain why he wasn’t interested in any of the princesses that had visited. Insted all he said was,  
“Meeting with all these princesses is exhausting, ya’know?”  
“I understand.” His father responds, “Lucky for you, the princesses you met today was the last one. Princess Brie, right?”  
“Yeah.”  
“What kingdom was she from again?”  
“Acella, I believe.”  
“Ah. Acella.”  
The king thought for a moment, then continued.  
“You should marry her. She would be a good bride for you.”  
“Oh?” Dan said, looking up from his plate, “How so?”  
“Well,” his father explained, “She’s the princess of the most wealthy kingdom. Marrying her would really help us out.” Dan mentaly cringed. He didn’t want to marry Brie just because she was rich. As a matter-of-fact, he didn’t want to marry Brie at all!It seemed like all she wanted was his land, not him. Even if she did like him for who he was, Dan wouldn’t want to marry her.  
“You close friends with the farmhand, aren’t you?” King Rupert asked, “You should have him help you pick out a bride!”  
“He’s not the farmhand, he’s the gardener.” Dan replied, annoyance evident in his voice.  
“Eh, same difference. Common folk are common folk, ya’know?”  
Dan sighed, “I’ll think about it.” he mumbled.  
“That’s my boy.”  
***  
Dan laid awake, staring up at the canopy hanging over his bed. Moonlight shined through the curtains and onto his face. The conversation with his father playing on loop in his head. Marry Brie? In your fucking dreams. He thought, But I suppose I don’t have any other option, though. He sighed. How am I supposed to tell Phil? Phil. Phil would be devastated to find out he had to marry a girl. He didn’t want to think about Phils sad face when he broke the news. So he didn’t. He just closed his eyes and tried his best to fall asleep.

***  
Dan awoke to the morning sun shining on his face. He sat up with a sigh. He got out of bed and began to get dressed. He was going to tell Phil. Dan would tell his father his choice. Dan walked down the hallway, a sad song in his heart. He arrived at the garden, a pit in his stomach. Phil was watering the rose bushes, and looks up to greet Dan with a smile. His face immediately falls, though, when he notices how sad Dan looks.  
“What's wrong?” he asked, running up to Dan.  
“I…” Dan paused, tears welling in his eyes, “I have to get married to a princess.” He lunged forward, embracing Phil. Embracing the love of his life. Embracing the man he could never marry. He sobbed into phils shoulder. Phil put his arms around Dan, rubbing his back and trying to comfort him. They stood there for awhile. Dan had stopped sobbing, and was letting the tears run silently down his face. He looked up at Phils face to see tears running down his cheeks as well. They pressed their foreheads together, wishing that they could go back to that day they first met. Back when everything was simple.  
“Who are you marrying?” Phil’s voice were heavy and full of sorrow.  
“Brie from Acella.” Dan responded. Phil just gave a sad hum in response. They pulled apart.  
“I have to go tell my father that I’ve decided on a princess.” Dan whispered, looking at the ground. He turned to leave, but Phil grabbed his hand. He pulled him in for a kiss. Possibly their last. Dan pulled away, sorrow in his eyes and tear tracks on his cheeks. He turned away and walked to the castle, looking back at Phil once more before walking down the hallway and towards the throne room.

***  
“That wonderful!” The King said after hearing his sons choice. “She’ll be a wonderful wife for you.”  
“Yeah,” Dan said, a fake smile on his face. “I think so too.”  
“Splendid! I’ll notify Brie, and then we can set a wedding date.”  
“Sure.”  
“We’ll hold the wedding in the garden! Just like every wedding that came before this.”  
Dan felt like he had just been hit in the gut. It felt almost sacrilegious, having a wedding he didn't want where he met the love of his life. He knew he couldn’t have the wedding anywhere else though. It was tradition for the prince to get married in the garden. He was pulled out of his thoughts by his father's voice.  
“Come now, we have much to do!” Dan did as he was told, a false smile plastered onto his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to @jackie-k-s on tumblr for helping me edit this chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- yo! I'm back with another chapter!!  
\- sorry this took so long to get out. School has been kicking my ass.   
\- i finally have a set number of chapters, too! There will be one more to tie up loose ends.  
\- we got some more angsty Bois in this chapter!! so yEET.  
\- anyway, enough of my rambling!! Enjoy the chapter!

Dan sat in his room, With Phil at his side. It had been three months since the letter was sent to Brie, telling her she would marry The Prince Of Corevia. Three months of year filled nights and sorrowful days of planning for a wedding Dan didn't want. Three months of plastered smiles and faux enthusiasm. 

Dan didn't know where Phil was. He didn't want to know. He half hoped he would be at the ceremony. That he would be able to have at least one last look at his love before he was whisked away and forced into a loveless marriage. 

The other half of him hoped that Phil had decided to flee the kingdom. That he decided to go find a husband somewhere else and had a happily ever after. If he did leave, Dan thought, I wouldn't have to bear the pain of looking at his face. It was a selfish thought, Dan knew. But perhaps they would both be better off if they were far away from each other. 

Dan shook his head to clear the thought. He wouldn't be able to stand not seeing Phil everyday. 

A soft knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. A young servent girl peeked her head in through the door. 

"It's time."

***

Dan's breath was shaky as he walked down the aisle to the altar. He wanted to run. He wanted to run away and never come back. He and Phil could run away and never return. It's a little late for that now, though. Dan thought, coming to a halt at the altar. He looked out over the crowd and felt his breath hitch. Phil was sitting among the crowd. He was in the middle of the 5 row, next to the girl who had informed Dan that it was time for the wedding. He locked eyes with Phil. He thought he might burst into tears. He held phils gaze until the music changed. The doors opened, and Brie waltzed out.

She had a long, flowing, white dress with large puffy sleeves. She looked at Dan with lust and longing. Not love. He finally let himself cry. It wasn't considered unreasonable, considering most people cry at their weddings. As Brie approached the altar, Dan spared one last look at Phil. Large, silent sobs fell from his eyes. Dan's heart ached to see Phil like this. He thought he might drop dead from all the sadness.

The priest began to speak. Dan didn't hear a word he was saying. He just stared, teary eyed at Brie, with another fake smile glued onto his face. 

"Brie, do you take this man to be your husband?" The priest asked, pulling Dan back into reality.

"I do."

"And Dan, do you take this woman to be your wife?"

Dan felt a lump in his throat. He wanted to shout. He wanted to scream the word no. He felt the eyes of the guest staring at him, burning into his skin. I'm sorry, Phil.

"I d--"

"WAIT!" a familiar voice called out, cutting Dan off. He looked out to see Phil, standing up, arm outstretched towards Dan. 

"What is the meaning of this?!" King Rupert bellowed, anger evediany in his voice.

"You don't have to do this," said Phil as he began to walk down the aisle, earning angry glares from the crowd, "I know you don't want to do this!" 

Dan looked at Phil, then at Brie. She looked confused and angry. She was like a pot that was about to boil over. 

"What I he talking about?" Brie barked. "What do you mean you don't want to do this?" Angry tears slipped out of her eyes. Dan pitied her. The poor girl had no idea what was happening. 

Dan's eyes shifted over to his father. His eyes were filled with rage, almost dating Dan not to go through with the wedding. Dan felt his chest tighten. What would his father do? Would he take Phil away? 

"I'm sorry." Was the only thing Dan could say before running over to Phil and smashing their lips together. A cry of outrage was heard from the crowd around them, but they didn't care. The only thing that mattered in that moment was each other. They could have stood there for hours, but the King had other plans. 

Pulling the two apart, King Rupert shoved his son to the ground.

"What do you think your doing?!" His scream silenced the rest of the guest. "You have a princess to marry, boy!" With this he kicked Dan in the gut. "Get up!"

Dan pushed himself to his feet. He met his father's glare. 

"I am living my truth." Dan said, voice unwavering. 

The sound of the king's hand hitting his sons face echoed throughout the garden. Dan didn't show any sign of pain. He simply held his father's gaze.

"Get out," the king's words were barely above a whisper, but everyone heard. "Get out of my kingdom, and never come back." 

And so, hand in hand with Phil, Dan left the castle with no intentions of ever returning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- thanks to jackie-k-s on Tumblr for being the most wonderful beta!!!! Please follow her or I will cry


	4. Epilogue

Rumors about the prince who eloped with a man during his wedding spread like wildfire rt throughou the kingdom. The king refused to acknowledge the rumors. The name Daniel Howell was still announced every Time the prince made an appearance, Though the number of times he was seen outside the castle since the wedding had drastically decreased. Many believed that the person that they saw was not their prince, but a Replacement. 

Some said it was a castle guard named Anthony that had similar features to the lost prince. Others said the replacement was a previously unknown brother to the prince named Andrew. No one was certain, though. 

Some people claimed to have seen the shunned prince, walking down the streets. Always dressed in a black cloak and accompanied by another, slightly shorter hooded figure. Yet whenever someone tried to get close to the mysterious pair, they were lost in the crowd. 

As time went on, the story of the lost prince and his husband became an urban legend among the citizens of Corevia. The story shifted as time went on. Some say that the King had the two executed and it's their ghosts that are seen wandering the kingdom, looking for the garden where they had met. Others claim that they ran to another kingdom and found a place to settle. All the stories end the same, though. They all end with the garden. They all speak of a garden in the middle of the  
woods, said to have been started the night of the wedding.  
If you venture out far enough, then you just might see an arch made of branches, and covered in blue roses. If you look close enough, then you may just be able to see a crown, tangled and lost in the branches of the arch, serving as proof of what once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks jackie-k-s on Tumblr for being a wonderful beta!! Check her out or I will steal your kidneys >:)🔪


End file.
